The invention pertains to a cone holder for textile machines and, more particularly, to an improved and simplified form of cone holder for so-called shuttleless looms.
In looms of the shuttleless type, that is, those looms in which weft yarn is supplied from an outside source and is not carried to and fro through the shed by the shuttle or carrier itself, it is common practice to utilize a cone holder at one side of the loom to support the supply of weft from which the required amounts are withdrawn during loom operation.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,165,279 and 3,897,915 and which are owned by the Assignee of the present application show and describe two distinct types of cone holders or so-called package holders for use in shuttleless looms of the type to which the present invention is applicable.
Cone holders utilized prior to the instant invention have performed their intended function with complete satisfaction; however, their complexity of design, and the number of elements required for each unit coupled with the cost of their manufacture has initiated many weaving mill requests for a more simplified and less expensive form of cone holder.
The device according to the present invention provides a cone holder which has satisfied the above described weaving mill requests. The device provides a simplified means for the donning and removal of a cone therefrom by simply slipping a cone of weft yarn onto said device where it is automatically positioned by a deformable gripping element and a centering member operatively associated with said gripping element. To doff or remove a cone from the device one simply has to apply a slight twist to the cone to effect the release of the holding properties of the gripping element.